Events of 2009 Washington County Barn Quilt Committee

Committee members used the machine shed voluntarily donated by Greiner Seeds to do a majority of their painting during the Spring and Summer of 2009.

Here the committee has completed blocks ready for hanging, and Co-Chairperson Terry Mangold along with others prepare to leave the machine shed in good order.

Committee Members Gerald Pacha, Nancy Adrian, Kathy Ebert and Myrna Wenger prepare and sell Root Beer Floats at Hy-Vee Grocery Store in Washington, during Spring Celebration.

Hy-Vee donated space, ice cream, Root Beer, and 600 Barn Quilt cookies that the committee sold; quilts adorned the store during the fund raiser sponsored by the managers of Hy-Vee. Many store employees purchased Barn Quilt shirts and wore them during the duration of Spring Celebration, 2009.

Committee Members Jackie Ross and Rose Mary Pacha displayed freshly baked cookies they had decorated to resemble barns.
Hy-Vee Food Store of Washington, Iowa, its bakery staff and managers hosted the Barn Quilt committee during Spring Celebration in May, 2009.

The committee sold 300 cookies the first day, so they returned the same day to bake another 300 cookies for the 2nd day of the celebration. Needless to say, it was a success.

Seven members of Barn Quilts of Washington County met this week with author, Suzi Parron. Parron of Stone Mountain, Georgia, has signed with Ohio University Press to write a book about the barn quilt trails across the country. Currently there are about 2,100 quilts across 24 states. 1,800 of them are part of organized trails. Parron is currently traveling through Iowa meeting with communities that have outstanding and unique barn quilt projects.

Barn Quilts began in 2001 in Adams County, Ohio, the idea of Donna Sue Groves. Groves wanted to honor her mother by having a painted quilt hung on her barn. Her vision expanded to a trail of 20 barn quilts in Adams County.

Barn Quilts of Washington County currently has over 65 barn quilts in three driving loops. The Amish Loops takes visitors through the northeast part of the county and features Amish quilt patterns. The Liberty Loop with its red, white and blue quilt patterns winds through the southeast portion of Washington County. The group has finished painting blocks for the Nature Loop which is located in the southwest portion of the county. The Agricultural Loop is slated to be completed in the fall of 2010 and will run through the northwest portion of Washington County. When completed, the four loops will boast over 100 barn quilt blocks.

Until the book is completed you may read Parron’s tails from the trail on her blog at americanquilttrail.blogspot.com.